US9797367B2ActiveUtilityA1

Wave energy conversion

65
Assignee: BOMBORA WAVE POWER PTY LTDPriority: Aug 17, 2012Filed: Feb 13, 2015Granted: Oct 24, 2017
Est. expiryAug 17, 2032(~6.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Glen Lee RyanShawn Kay Ryan
F03B 13/188F05B 2240/97F03B 13/24F03B 13/22F03B 13/1885F05B 2240/93F05B 2240/40F03B 13/16Y02E10/72F03B 13/1895F03B 13/12F03D 13/25F03B 13/189F03D 9/008F03D 9/25Y02E10/38Y02E10/727F05B 2270/202Y02E10/30
65
PatentIndex Score
2
Cited by
12
References
41
Claims

Abstract

A wave energy converter (WEC) 10 has a body portion 18 with a face 20 and at least one flexible membrane 16 bounding at least part of a volume of a fluid to form a variable volume cell 22. The membrane is inclined from vertical providing a flow smoothed passage for wave energy from a wave 14 to travel over the WEC whilst deforming the at least one membrane towards the body to compress the fluid. The cell(s) can be submerged or floating. The inclination of the at least one membrane assists conversion of potential and kinetic energy of the wave to pressure within the fluid. Fluid pressure within the WEC cell(s) and/or system can be optimised to suit wave and/or performance conditions.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wave energy converter (WEC) for use submerged below a surface of a body of water, the WEC comprising:
 at least one body portion; and 
 at least two cells, each of the cells including a flexible membrane, wherein each of said cell bounds at least part of a volume of a fluid within the respective cell, the flexible membranes being fully submerged to a depth in a body of water when in use, and wherein a portion of the at least one membrane is inclined from vertical and inclined from horizontal providing a flow smoothed way for wave energy to travel over the submerged said at least one membrane whilst a pressure differential between a wave pressure external to the respective cell and an internal pressure of the respective cell deforms each of the flexible membranes towards the body to compress the volume of the fluid, wherein the inclination of the substantial portion of the at least one membrane from vertical and horizontal assists coupling conversion of potential and kinetic energy of the wave to pressure within the fluid as the wave energy passes over the submerged WEC, and wherein at least two of the cells supplies pressure into a pressure supply conduit or manifold through a respective at least one supply port of each of those cells. 
 
     
     
       2. The WEC according to  claim 1 , further comprising the at least two cells arranged in at least one array forming a multiple cell said wave energy convertor. 
     
     
       3. The WEC according to  claim 1 , wherein the WEC includes the at least two cells within one said body portion. 
     
     
       4. The WEC according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible membrane is inclined between 20° and 70° from horizontal. 
     
     
       5. The WEC according to  claim 1 , wherein a substantial portion of one or more of the at least two cells incline from horizontal with respect to a said wave passing over the WEC or declines from horizontal with respect to said wave passing over the WEC. 
     
     
       6. The WEC according to  claim 1 , wherein the submerged wave energy converter comprises the at least two cells tethered, anchored or attached to a seabed or otherwise restrained to restrict the vertical movement of the submerged WEC as the wave passes over the WEC. 
     
     
       7. The WEC according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least two cells are spaced above the seabed and tethered, anchored or attached thereto or otherwise restrained to restrict the vertical movement of the WEC as the wave passes over the submerged WEC. 
     
     
       8. The WEC according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least two cells of the WEC are submerged at between 2.5 m and 15 m of water depth on average. 
     
     
       9. The WEC according to  claim 1 , further comprising a rear of the WEC including an exterior wave flow control having a straight, curved or rounded portion. 
     
     
       10. The WEC according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least two cells are arranged as one or more linear, curved or circular arrays of said cells. 
     
     
       11. The WEC according to  claim 2 , wherein at least two cells of the WEC are arranged horizontally with respect to one another. 
     
     
       12. The WEC according to  claim 2 , deployed as multiple linear or curved arrays of said cells arranged in at least one V or chevron orientated, in use, towards or to face the direction of the oncoming waves or the open sea/ocean and the linear or curved arrays of the V or chevron extend from the apex towards the shore such that the waves approach the apex first and the V or chevron and each array obliquely, or deployed such that an apex of the V or chevron arrangement points towards the shore and away from the waves, such that the linear or curved arrays of the V protect away from the apex towards open water. 
     
     
       13. The WEC according to  claim 2 , wherein, for the at least one array of said cells, the flexible membranes are spaced so as to couple to different parts of a wavelength of the wave. 
     
     
       14. The WEC according to  claim 13 , wherein the flexible membrane of at least one said cell is exposed to higher wave pressure, and the flexible membrane of at least another said cell is exposed to lower wave pressure as one or more waves pass over the cell. 
     
     
       15. The WEC according to  claim 14 , wherein the array is arranged such that when at least one said cell is exposed to the higher wave pressure and pumping fluid out from the cell via at least one outlet port, at least one other of the cells is exposed to the lower wave pressure and accepting return fluid from a reservoir or low pressure manifold via at least one inlet port. 
     
     
       16. The WEC according to  claim 1 , further comprising one or more cell lower pressure inlet ports, one or more cell higher pressure outlet ports, one or more manifolds for combining or splitting fluid flow respectively to or from said cell(s), and/or one or more turbines driven by the pressure flow from the cell(s). 
     
     
       17. The WEC according to  claim 10 , wherein, when multiple said cells are arranged in at least one array, with at least one turbine and/or at least one electrical generator mounted toward or at the end of the array or of each said array or anywhere along a length of a said array, or wherein, when multiple said cells are arranged in a V or chevron of multiple arrays of the cells, the turbine or turbines and/or electrical generator or generators is/are mounted adjacent to or in an apex of the V or chevron and airflow streams from each array are combined. 
     
     
       18. The WEC according to  claim 16 , further comprising a fluid flow control system having at least one check valve or at least one turbine, or a combination of at least one check valve and at least one turbine, provided at or adjacent a port of a respective cell, or provided in one or more conduits, optionally in either or both a low pressure and a high pressure conduit. 
     
     
       19. The WEC according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the at least two cells is on each of opposing sides of the WEC, at least one said cell on a first side. with respect to the wave to extract energy from the wave, and at least. one other said cell to extract energy from the same wave and/or from a returning said wave. 
     
     
       20. The WEC according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one said array includes a longitudinal array of the cells arranged such that an angle. that the waves impinge on the array is between 10° and 80°. 
     
     
       21. The WEC according to  claim 1 , wherein the geometric shape of the at least one end of the. at least one membrane of the WEC is geometrically shaped to control elastomeric strain or stress or stress and strain. 
     
     
       22. The WEC according to  claim 21 , wherein the geometric shape of the at least one end of the flexible membrane is a curve, semicircle, arc or spline. 
     
     
       23. The WEC according to  claim 1 , wherein, at least one said flexible membrane has chord dimensions allowing the respective membrane to conform to a face of the respective cell when deflated. 
     
     
       24. The WEC according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the multiple flexible membranes is inclined between 20° and 70° from horizontal. 
     
     
       25. The WEC according to  claim 5 , wherein each of the cells of the WEC inclines from horizontal with respect to a said wave passing over the WEC or declines from horizontal with respect to said wave passing over the WEC. 
     
     
       26. The WEC according to  claim 2 , Wherein the cells of the WEC are deployed at between 2.5 m and 15 m of water depth on average. 
     
     
       27. The WEC according to  claim 2 , further comprising one or more cell lower pressure inlet ports, one or more cell higher pressure outlet ports, one or more manifolds for combining or splitting fluid flow respectively to or from said cells, and/or one or more turbines driven by the pressure flow from the cells. 
     
     
       28. The WEC according to  claim 27 , further comprising a fluid flow control system having at least one check valve or at least one turbine, or a combination of at least one check valve and at least one turbine, provided at or adjacent a port of a respective cell, or provided in one or more conduits, optionally in either or both a low pressure and a high pressure conduit. 
     
     
       29. The WEC according to  claim 1 , Wherein the flexible membrane of a respective said cell is multi-layered or laminated. 
     
     
       30. The WEC according to  claim 1 , Wherein the flexible membrane of a respective said cell incorporates reinforcement. 
     
     
       31. A method of controlling or optimising fluid pressure within a submerged wave energy convertor (WEC) according to  claim 1 , the WEC having a control system, the method comprising:
 increasing or decreasing fluid pressure within the cells of the submerged WEC and/or within at least one low pressure or high pressure conduit and/or within at least one manifold of the system to maintain a desired pressure. 
 
     
     
       32. The method according to  claim 31 , further comprising operating the control system, wherein operating the control system comprises increasing or decreasing the fluid pressure within at least one low pressure or high pressure conduit and/or within at least one manifold of the WEC relative to at least one reference pressure value. 
     
     
       33. The method according to  claim 32 , whereby the fluid pressure or each fluid pressure is an average of fluid pressure determined within each respective said cell. 
     
     
       34. The method according to  claim 33 , whereby the average pressure is determined, at least in part, by averaging various pressures within a cell or across a number of cells of the WEC at a particular time or across one or more said cells over time. 
     
     
       35. The method according to  claims 31 , further comprising controlling or optimising fluid pressure within the cells to maintain optimum fluid pressure within the cells as a function of water depth changes with tidal or other effects. 
     
     
       36. The method according to  claim 35 , Whereby fluid pressure within each respective cell of the cells is increased with an increase in water depth to balance the increased external pressure from the water, and as water depth decreases, fluid pressure within the respective cell of the cells is decreased to balance the decreased pressure from the water. 
     
     
       37. The method according to  claim 35 , further comprising, in the event of actual or predicted deterioration in sea conditions, reducing the fluid pressure within the cell to prevent damage to the membrane of the respective cell. 
     
     
       38. A WEC according to  claim 1 , wherein, at least one said flexible membrane has dimensions allowing the respective membrane to conform to a face of the respective cell when deflated or to deflate without pinches or folds in the flexible membrane. 
     
     
       39. The WEC according to  claim 1 , wherein the WEC includes each cell of the at least two cells within a single body portion separate from the body portion of each the other ones of the at least two cells. 
     
     
       40. The WEC according to  claim 39 , wherein the body portion of each of the at least two cells is spaced from the body portion of each of the other of the at least two cells. 
     
     
       41. The method of  claim 32 , whereby the fluid pressure or each fluid pressure is an average of fluid pressure determined within the at least one low pressure conduit and/or within the at least one high pressure conduit and/or manifold of the system.

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